Arthur heine



(No Model.)

A. HEINE.

STRIKING APPARATUS FOR STRING INSTRUMENTS.

Patented Mar. 8,1898.

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WITN ESSES Jim/ UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

' ARTHUR HEINE, OF LEIPSIG, GERMANY.

STRIKING APPARATUS FOR STRING INSTRUMENTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 600,150, dated March 8, 1898.

Application filed April 28, 1897. Serial No. 68 L306. (No model.) Patented in Germany January 1, 1896, No. 87,746.

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ARTHUR IIEINE, a subject of the King of Saxony, and a resident of Gohlis, near Leipsic, Kingdom of Saxony, Empire of Germany, have invented a certain new and useful Striking Apparatus for String Instruments, of which the followingis a specification, for which I have received a patent in Germany, No. 87,746, dated January 1, 1896.

The present invention relates to a striking apparatus for stringed instruments enabling the performer to strike or touch a number of strings, at the same time striking accords. This object is attained by the apparatus, of which Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings is a section, and Fig. 2 a plan view.

Across the strings s s an adjustable bar a is arranged a proper distance above the strings. At each of its ends the bar a slides on a bead g, which, in order to reduce the friction can be prepared with graphite. In order to guide the rod straight, pins g are arranged, catching into the notches g at the ends of the bar a. On its under side the bar a is provided with the striking-pins d, arranged at a suitable distance apart, having also dampers, d of india-rubber, felt, or the like.

The upper surface of the bar a is provided with a saddle-shaped groove 1), which is faced with polished tin and at its vertical ends provided with little pieces of cloth or felt. Above this bar Ct a key-lever 7t is suspended in form of a single-arm lever hinged at 1). By means of a spring m the lever his always pressed upward and is stopped by a cross-ledge q,coated with cloth or felt f. On the front end of the lever 77. is the key-plate t. Under the lever is a felt plate f, which softens the striking of the lever h on the bar a when the lever 7b is pressed down.

Above the saddle-shaped groove b of the bar a a cross-shaped piece 1;, also lined with cloth, is suspended, oscillating in a slit of the lever h. This piece 1; is held in vertical position by a suitably-formed spring or, acting on its horizontal arms. The points of o and Z) always stand so that when pressed down I the point of 'v meets the slanting surface of Z) either at the right or left of the point of b. lVhen the lever h is pressed down, the lower point of '1; slides along 011 the slanting surface of I) as far as its (1)) verticallimit f and in pressing 72, fart-her down it pushes the bar a forward in its longitudinal direction until felt f lies on the bar a, and thus the vertical movement of 7t and the longitudinal shift of a are limited by the cross 1), then in slanting position. This position is indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1. The striking-pins cl, with their dampers d, are therefore carried by the lever across the strings 5, thus sounding the latter. If the key 2? is released, lever 7L, worked by the spring m,rises. The cross,also worked by the spring m, places itself vertically-viz. with its point over the other slanting surface of b--so that in again pressing down it the bar a is pressed bye to the other side-1'. (2., into its original position. The strings are thereby caused to resound.

The spring at (indicated in the drawings) on the bar a serves to immediately lift the striking-pins d and dampers cl out of the plane of the strings struck, when It is released.

I claim as my invention 1. Striking apparatus for string instruments consisting of a bar 64 located across the strings, provided in its under side with striking-pins d and dampers d, said bar carrying a spring m at one end, and its upper surface having a saddle-shaped notch covered with tin and at the ends provided with felts f, substantially as described.

2. A striking apparatus for string instruments consisting of abar provided below with striking pins and dampers, and above with a saddle-shaped notch, in combination with a single-arm lever h suspended over the bar 00 by a spring 077. and provided with a depending cross-piece 1) covered with felt, and a spring m, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two Witnesses.

ARTHUR HEINE.

Witnesses:

RUDOLPH FnroKE, Orro DOEDERLEIN. 

